Apparatus for handling ore and the like



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 C. E. DAVIS APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ORE ND THE LIKE Original Filed Oct. 10, 1921 Dec. 23, 1924.

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1,520,120 c. E. DAvls f APPARATUS Foa HANDLING ORE: AND 'mE LIKE Original Filed Oct. 10, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WM W ATTORNEY Fetented 25, i924.

entree stares PATENT CHARLES E. DAVIS, DEy CHICAGO; ILLINOIS,- ASSIGNQ'R, TO- GOODMAN MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY', OF G HICAGQ, ILLINGI'S, .Pg QQRPORTION OF ILLINOIS.

APPARATS ronr HANDLING ort-:e AND THF. Linn.

Application mea october 1c, 1921, sei-iai no. 506,713.

To @ZZ whomv't may, conce/rn:

Be it knowir that I, CHARLES E. DAVIS, al citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented' an Improven'ient in Apparatus for Handling Ore and' the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for handling ore and the like and has for its principal object to. provide an iin.- proved apparatus for transporting loose material from one place to another as for instance in a mine.

In two prior applications for U. S. Letters Patent, bearing Serial No. 332,696, filed May 20, 1920, now Patent\1,462,688, July 24, 1923, and Serial No. 460,865, filed April 13, 1921, now Fatent 1,464,522, Aug. 14, 1923, I have disclosed devices of the class above described comprising a scraper and a movable frame adapted to form a support about which said scraper is guided. In the present application, I utilize the same general principles of construction and operation as described in the above-mentioned applications, but provide a power element mounted on the frame adapted to engagethe scraper andl assist it in its forward movement about the frame during its digging operation. I also provide means whereby the power element may be utilized to advance the frame toward the materia-l to be transported at the will of the operator. My invention may best be understood by ref-erence to the accompanying drawings in which Figurer 1 is a top plan view of the guiding frame constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 ,is a side view of the frame shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views showing the ratchet mechanism for advancing1v the frame with respect to the material to be transported.

Fig. 5 is a topplan view showing the apparatus including the frame and scraper in operative position in `a mine'.

Fig. 6 is aside View .of ,the apparatus shown in Fig- 5.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, the apparatus is adapted for use in' mining operations in which loose material is to be transported from the working face or `place from which the material is being Renewed. June 5, 1924.

mined, to a place where it may be loaded on mine cars, and comprises ax scraper 1 adapted to be moved on the minebottom by means of ftexible draft cables 2 and 3, and about a guiding frame 4 fixed on the mine bottom 1ny position to form a bearing. for' one side of the scraper as the latterY is advanced into the loose material'. The frame 4`is held in place by means of a guiding device such as a lpair of' mine jacks 5 and 5d of the usual type which are inserted in a longitudinally disposed slotI 6 formed in the frame. f The Jacks-5 and 5a are spaced apart so as to guide the movement of the frame in a longitudinalv direct-ion.

The speciic form of frame 4 illustrated herewith forms the subject matter of a copen'ding application for U. S. Letters Patent Serial No. 506,712, filed Oct. 10, 1921, and comprises an arcuate shield or bearing` member 12, a ypair of longitudinally disposed beams 13, 13,V a rear end member 14, and suitable side frame members 15 and 16 connecting the shield 12 with the rear end member 14. The longitudinally disposed beams 13, 13, form the'slot 6 in which the guide members 5 and 5a are retained. The forward or bearing face of the'shield 12 is curved in a horizontal plane as shown in the drawings, and is provided with a centrally disposed recess or groove 17 extending around the face thereof, a substantially vertical bearing surface 18 above said recess, and an outwardly and downwardly extending bearing surface 19 below said recess. The arrangement of the recess 1.7 andI bearing surfaces 1S and 19 are clearly shown' in cross-section in Fig. 2. A plurality of sheaves 20, 20, are mounted about the shieldA and having. their peripheries extending into the recess 17. The rarrangement is such that the draft ropes 2.and 3 are adapted to engage within the recess 17 and bear on the sheaves 20, 20. Incase the draft ropes are allowed to slaclten and to the ground, they will automatically be movedupwardly along the inc-lined face 19 and into the recess A17, as'soon asv tension is applied to the ropes `during the operation of the'apparatus.

rFhe scraper 1 is preferably of the vbottomless type. The specific construction of scraper illustrated herewith forms the subject-matter of a separate application filed by me' Oct. '10, 1921, Serial No. 506,711, now

Patent 1,477,814, Dec. 18, 1923. Other suitable forms of scraper may be substituted if desired.

Referring now to the means for assisting the scraper as it is moved about the guiding frame 4, I provide a motor 40, such as an electric motor, mount-ed on a bracket 41 above the rear end piece 14 of the frame. Said motor is provided with a beveled armature pinion 42 meshed with a beveled gear 48 carried on a vertically disposed shaft 44. Said shaft 44 is mounted on suitable supports 45 and 46, connected to the frame member 14. A chain sprocket 47 is carried on the mottom end of the shaft 44 and an endless chain 48 is trained about said sprocket and extends forwardly around the curved shield 12 at the front end of the frame. In the embodiment illustrated, the endless chain 48 passes about the upper portion of the recess or groove 17 formed in the shield 12 and engages a plurality of anti-friction rollers 49, 49, adjacent the sheaves 20, 20, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. A hook member 50 is mounted on and carried by the chain and is arranged so as to extend outwardly beyond the lateral face of the frame in position to engage the scraper 1 and assist it in moving about the front end of the frame. The scraper 1 is provided with a suitable detent, such as an aperture 51 formed adjacent the forward edge o-f the inner wall la to be engaged by the hook 50 as shown in Fig. 5.

By means of the mechanism just described, the hook 50, carried by the power actuated chain 48 may be controlled by the operator` so as to engage the reciprocable scraper when it reaches its digging position, facing the forward end of the frame as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. With a device of the type sho-wn and described, I

` find that much more power is required to move the scraper about the forward end of the frame to gather the load, than is required to transport the scraper after the load has been gathered. My improved apparatus, therefore, produces an economically operated device in which the scraper is assisted by auxiliary power means during its loading movement.

The power from the motor 40 is also utilized for advancing the frame 4 toward the material to be transported. This means comprises a gear rloosely mounted on the shaft 44 and meshed with a gear 56 mounted on the upper end of a shaft 10 and operatively connected tol a winding drum 11. A draft rope 11L is wound around the drum 11 with one end thereof connected to oneof the forward jacks, such as the forward jack 5, as shown in Fig. A ratchet wheel 9 is carried on t-he shaft 10 and is engaged b a dog 9L adapted to prevent rotation of the ratchet wheel and winding drum connected therewith in one direction. Said dog may be maintained in operative connection with the ratchet wheel 9 by any suitable means such as a pivoted latch 9b (see Figs. 3 and 4. Said latch 9b has-a pair of downwardly extending arms adapted to engage a lug 9c carried by the dog 9a to hold said dog in place by gravity. Then it is desired to release the winding drum, the latch 9b is rocked on its axis as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, to withdraw the dog 9@L from ratchet wheel 9. A clutch member 58 is interposed between the driving shaft 44 and the pinion so that the winding drum may be operated at will when it is desired to advance the frame.

Although I have shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that many other means may be employed for accomplishing the same results without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I do not therefore wish to be understood as limiting myself to the specific construction illustrated herein excepting as specifically limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame adapted to be fixed against lateral movement, a draft-operated conveyor device including a scraper adapted to have lateral engagement with said frame while said scraper is being loaded, an auxiliary power element mounted on said frame, and means affording operative engagement between said power element and said scraper while the latter is in engagement with said frame.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame having a curved forward portion, a support for said frame adapted to be fixed against lateral movement, a draft-operated scraper having lateral engagement with said curved forward portion of the frame, and means for moving said frame forwardly with respect to its support, comprising an auxiliary, power element mounted on the frame, ratchet mechanism Vhaving operative connection with said support, and clutch means interposed between said power element and said ratchet mechanism.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame adapted to be fixed against lateral movement, and having a curved bearing portion, a reciproeably-operated scraper, an

endless flexible driving element trained about said curved bearing portion, means for detachably connecting said driving element and said scraper, and a power element mounted on said frame and operatively connected with said driving element.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame adapted to be fixed against lateral movement, and provided with a curved forward portion having a horizontally-disposed groove therein, an endless flexible driving element trained about said groove, a reciprocably-operated scraper, means for detachably connecting said driving element with said scraper, and a power element mounted on said frame and operatively oonnected with said driving element.

5. In an apparatus or' the class described, a frame adapted to be fixed against lateral movement, and provided With a curved forward portion having a horizontally-disposed groove therein, an endless iexible driving element trained yabout said groove,

a plurality of anti-friction rollers arranged about said groove and forming a support for said driving element, a reciprocably-operated scraper, means for detaohably connecting said driving element With said scraper, and a power element mounted on said frame and operatively connected with said driving element.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this eighth day of October, 1921.

CHARLES E. DAVIS. 

